


Can't

by asoulofstars



Series: A Mess You Would Wear With Pride [13]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Communication, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asoulofstars/pseuds/asoulofstars
Summary: Riona and Shawn have an important conversation in the beginnings of their new relationship.
Relationships: Shawn Spencer/Original Female Character(s), Shawn Spencer/Riona Gallagher, past Shawn Spencer/Abigail Lytar
Series: A Mess You Would Wear With Pride [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028376
Kudos: 2





	Can't

**Author's Note:**

> Sometime after "Mr. Yin Presents" and before "Romeo and Juliet and Juliet". Closer to the former than the latter.

Riona was laying in Shawn’s arms, feeling his fingers trail along her spine, stopping occasionally to rub at tension spots. She hummed in appreciation, eyes slipping closed, and settled further into his chest.

“Can I ask you something?” she mumbled.

“Why did I ask out Abigail when you and I were sort of in limbo?” he asked for her.

Riona blinked. Even though he couldn’t see the future, sometimes he was able to say things that made her wonder if there wasn’t anything _more_ to his psychic-ness than his hyper-observational skills.

“Well, yeah.”

He pulled her up into a sitting position, and she looked at him intently. She liked that when they were having serious conversations, he wanted to look at her properly.

“Because, I’d never been in a serious relationship before. Never. And, I knew if I screwed things up with you, I wouldn’t get a second chance romantically, but I knew I’d also lose you as a friend. And that _terrified_ me. That’s why it took me so long to ask you out at all. Even after I almost died, I was still so unsure, and I couldn’t do this if I wasn’t sure." He took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "So, I asked out Abigail, because we had history, but she and I weren’t friends. If I screwed up with her, my life would be pretty much back to how it was. But…I didn’t want to lose the person who always is awake and willing to just ride around with me on my bike when I can’t sleep, who is there for Gus and encourages his passions, who worries about me no matter what’s going on. You mean so much to me, and I can’t lose you." He ran his thumb over her jawline in a light caress. "So…maybe it was selfish, and I’m sorry for that, but I had to play it safe, because I couldn’t do this until I believed in myself.”

Riona was quiet through his whole speech, tears welling up in her eyes when he said _I can’t lose you_. She took his face in her hands, and she kissed him hard. His fingers splayed across her back, and she let out a breath as he pulled her closer. She moved her hands down and grasped his shoulders, and he leaned into her kiss. Riona pulled back and rested her forehead against his.

“Wow, um, what was that for?” he asked, panting.

“No one’s ever told me that they can’t lose me,” she whispered, the tears rolling down her cheeks freely now.

Shawn wiped at her cheeks with his thumbs, and he kissed the tip of her nose. “I can’t lose you, Riona. Not ever.”

“You won’t,” she promised.

And that was when she knew that she wouldn’t lose him, either. She didn’t have to be scared. And she would be able to go slow for as long as it took for Shawn to be comfortable with each of the typical stages of a relationship, because she knew that no matter how long it might take, he wasn’t going anywhere. Because he couldn’t lose her, and she _wouldn’t_ lose him.

"Is breá liom tú," she told him.

"I still don't know what that means," he replied.

"I'll tell you someday." She giggled and kissed him again.


End file.
